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Most people negotiate salary exactly once in their career — when they accept the offer. They don't know there are at least four more moments in the process where money is on the table, and recruiters are silently counting on that ignorance. I spent 15 years as a recruiter, including time at Amazon. I helped fill hundreds of roles, sat through thousands of offer conversations, and watched smart, qualified candidates leave $10,000, $20,000, even $50,000 on the table: not becaus

As a recruiter with 15 years of experience, I've reviewed tens of thousands of applicants. I've sent more calendar invites than I can count, and had every kind of candidate interaction you can image: the good, the uncomfortable, and the truly baffling. And in all that time, one thing has stayed consistently true: nobody teaches candidates how to communicate with recruiters. You’re expected to just … figure it out. So today, I’m pulling back the curtain. Here’s what’s actually

Last week we talked about the basics of behavioral interviews — simple tips and how to start prepping your stories. But there's more you need to know before you walk into that interview: I vs. We: When you're telling your story, you need to be clear about what you did versus what the team did. Most companies are interviewing you for the role — not your entire team. I know it feels uncomfortable to walk in and say "me me me" the whole time, but here's a simple fix: start with

If you've ever interviewed anywhere, you have been asked a question that starts with "Tell me about a...." that's a behavioral question. What is a behavioral question? A behavioral question is an open-ended question that seeks to understand the past behavior of the candidate. What are they looking for when they ask you this type of question? The hiring manager, interviewer, or even the recruiter is looking to understand the actions you took during the situation you're describ

In today's job market, most companies use an Applicant Tracking System — better known as an ATS. And with that comes a lot of misinformation about what it can and can't do. As a recruiter with nearly 15 years of experience working for companies of all sizes, I'm here to set the record straight. Myth: ATS can reject your resume without a human ever seeing it. Technically, that's not really possible — with one exception. Some applications include what are called "knockout que

I worked at Amazon for their Talent Acquisition department from 2021 until October of 2025. I was part of the layoff last year. During my tenure there I worked as a Recruiter in the Corporate office and as a Product Marketer for in internal Talent Acquisition team by the time I left. I interviewed candidates for both corporate roles and for their field roles. Before working there, I used to think that their hiring process was too cumbersome and a bit much. After working there

We've all been through interview processes that feel like interrogation. Interview after interview, at some point you start thinking "is this really worth it?". That's unfortunately the point. And no I'm not talking about six people in a room at once or even 4-5 interviews in a single day. I'm talking about 6 separate steps. Recruiter call, technical screen, hiring manager interview, culture interview, VP interview, HR sign-off. Six different calendar invites. Six rounds of p

As a recruiter, I've reviewed over 10,000 resumes in my career. The rejections were not personal, even though it felt like it. One of the biggest reasons I rejected applicants was because their resume wasn't aligned to the job description. The resume didn't speak the same language as the job description. And before you say, "but I have all the experience" - I believe you, but that's not the point. If the reader on the other end couldn't gather that by reading your resume then

The Washington post recently published an article that basically corroborates what Recruiters, Resume Writers, and Hiring Manager have been advising job seekers since the advent of ChatGPT. AI resumes or using AI during your the application and interview process isn't fooling anyone. This is not to say that you CAN'T use AI during the process, however when you rely on AI completely without using that wonderful brain of yours to edit, add, or modify the information then you ar

Why do recruiters only look at your resume for 7 seconds? The short answer is that they are trained to quickly discern qualifications from your resume against the job description. Recruiters receive hundreds of applications for each role they are hiring for. Typically, they are working on multiple roles at the same time. Hence, they look for whether the resume meets the basic qualifications or not. You might think it’s unfair, but this is the reality of the world we live in.

First, let's address the elephant in the room! Hiring is down 3.5% in November of 2025 compared to November of 2024 across the entire US. (Source: LinkedIn ) This may sound like bad news, but in this competitive market, you need to be strategic in your job search. There is a goal-creating methodology called SMART goals. SMART stan ds for Specific, Measurable, Achievable (or actionable/attainable), Relevant, and Time-Bound. Now, you might ask, how does one create SMART job sea

Well it's a whole new year. With the new year we also expect a slew of new job openings. Companies will often start their new budget year and start allocating job positions to each department. What does this mean for you as a job seeker? A few things actually: First, revamp your resume. You can use our previous articles to do it yourself or you can reach out to us for a professional upgrade Update your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters often use LinkedIn to search for candidates f

It's been a tough week for many people this week. We saw 65,000 people get notified that they were being laid off. It wasn't done via a meeting invite but through a generic email. Sixty-five thousand families, dreams, and careers, disrupted in an instant. If you were one of those people, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath! This wasn't your fault, it feels personal but it's not about you. It's about Corporate priorities. The layoff Paradox: Every layoff wave we hear similar

Crafting a resume that stands out is essential in today’s competitive job market. One of the most effective ways to make your resume...

In today's job market, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by job postings that seem to require a laundry list of qualifications. Asking...

Fake Resumes and Applicants are storming companies – Do You Look Real? The rise of AI has led to job seekers and companies using AI to...

Your resume is a marketing document and is a crucial step in the job search process. Your resume is the first impression to future employers, therefore using action words can increase your changes of getting noticed.

The job market ins 2025 is not the same as the one in 2021. Whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned professional, a good career...

Creating an effective resume is an important step in your job search. A well-written resume outlines your work history along with your...

If this were two or even one year ago, I would have told you that you can skip the cover letter. In today's market, the answer is YES! A...